Month: April 2017

When you are looking around to choose a home loan, it can be helpful for you to use a “Home Loan Checklist”. It will help you make a decision that will suit your needs and circumstances. You can use the checklist for any purpose, including:

>> Buying your first home;

>> Refinancing your existing mortgage;

>> Consolidating your debts

>> Cash out/equity release;

>> Buying an investment property;

>> Constructing your new home; or

>> Upgrading or renovating your existing home.

You can also use the checklist to avoid applying for loans that don’t suit your particular needs or circumstances.

Ask your Lender/Credit Provider for a copy of their Key Facts Sheet

While doing your research, the best way to compare home loans is to ask different lenders/credit providers for a copy of their “Key Facts” sheet because it will tell you:

>> The total amount to be paid back over the life of loan;

>> The repayment amounts and payment options;

>> The fees and charges payable; and

>> The comparison rate which will help you check the total cost of a home loan against other home loans.

What is Included in the Home Loan Checklist?

Here is a list of things you should look out for before you sign up and which are included in the Home Loan Checklist.

1. INTEREST RATES

This is where you need to know details of the interest rate percentage (%) charged by lenders/credit providers for any of the following home loan options, including the comparison rate:

Variable Interest Rate Home Loan

With this option, the interest rate increases or decreases in accordance with the rates in the marketplace.

Fixed Interest Rate Home Loan

With this option, you may elect to fix (lock-in) an interest rate typically for 1 to 5 years.

Split Loan (Combined Variable/Fixed Interest Rate) Home Loan

This option allows you greater flexibility because you may elect to divide your loan into a number of splits. For example:

>> You can arrange for one split loan as a variable interest rate; and

>> You can arrange for another split as a fixed interest rate.

Introductory (Honeymoon) Interest Rate Home Loan

At the start of a new loan, you may be offered an interest rate for an introductory or honeymoon period which is usually at a lower rate. However, at the end of the honeymoon period, the loan will eventually revert back to a standard variable rate.

Comparison Rate

You need to check the Key Facts sheet for comparison rates. As the comparison rates will help you to easily compare the total cost of loan against other loans, including:

>> Interest rates;

>> Application fees (sometimes also called the establishment, set up or upfront fees); and

>> Ongoing fees.

2. REPAYMENT OPTIONS

This is where you need to know what repayment options are available to you including:

Additional Repayments

You need to know if you can make additional repayments which are in addition to your normal minimum monthly repayments.

Redraw Facility

You need to check the Key Facts sheet to find out if you can make extra lump sum repayments over and above your contracted loan repayments. You will also have to check whether you can then redraw (withdraw) these extra funds from your loan when you want them. You may find that in some cases, lenders/credit providers may not release your redraw funds when you want them.

Paying Weekly or Fortnightly

You need to know if you can select weekly or fortnightly repayments as it will enable you to repay (pay off) your loan sooner.

3. FEES and CHARGES

To help you work out the true cost of a home loan, you need to know the details of any fees and charges that may be charged including:

Application Fee

It is also called establishment, setup or upfront fees. You need to know details of the application fee charged by lenders/credit providers which covers or partially covers their costs of setting up or establishing loan.

Exit Fees

It will help you to know if your current lender/credit provider will charge an exit fee for the early pay out of your loan, and if so, how much you will be charged.

Break Costs

It will help you know if your lender/credit provider will charge a break fee for ending a fixed rate contract before the fixed rate expires, and if so, how much you will be charged.

Ongoing Fees

You need to know details of any ongoing account keeping fees that the lenders/credit providers will charge against your loan (i.e. these are usually charged monthly).

Additional Charges

You need to know if there are any additional charges to be made against loan, and if so, you need to know whether you can pay these fees upfront or have the fees added to your loan.

Finding a suitable home loan that suits your needs is a major financial decision. So, don’t rush into anything too quickly. Always remember that while you are shopping around for a suitable home loan, do your research and review the Key Facts sheet closely before you sign up for loan.

Seek Expert and Professional Advice

So, now that you have a basic understanding of why a home loan checklist is important, you should also consider seeking help from a professionally qualified finance broker. He/she will help you to create a personalized home loan checklist. He/she will save you lots of valuable time running around on your own and assist you in determining which potential lender/credit provider best meets your needs and circumstances.

Often while purchasing a new car, obtaining an auto loan that is equal to the value of your car can be tricky. The whole point of applying for a loan is to ease the financial burden in acquiring your new car. Therefore, it is best when the maximum amount of your cost is covered through the loan. Therefore, any auto loan with an impressive loan-to-value percentage is sought after.

So, what is loan-to-value percentage and how does it work?

Technically, a loan-to-value percentage is the amount of the loan financed, relative to the value of the car. It is usually calculated by dividing the loan amount by the current value of the vehicle.

Under an ideal scenario, the loan-to-value percentage is below 100%. However, on a situational basis, lenders can extend loans up to 150% of the value of the car. For instance, assume you want to buy a car worth $50,000 and the loan-to-value percentage on the auto loan is 120%. It indicates that you still have $10,000 to spend on other expenses while you can easily cover the cost of your new car.

A lower loan-to-value percentage means a lower risk for the lender. However, there are a few ways to obtain a loan-to-value percentage which is higher than the value of the car you want to purchase.

What should you keep in mind to obtain a Higher Loan-To-Value Percentage?

· A Clean Credit History

A squeaky clean credit history is by far the most essential factor in not only getting an auto loan, but also getting higher loan-to-value percentage. Without a good credit history, accessing an auto loan can be difficult and it might cost you a tad bit more. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain a good credit record as it is exceedingly important in acquiring a higher loan-to-value percentage.

· Type of Car

Whether you are buying a new car or a used car, your repayment options and loan-to-value percentage can greatly vary. Surely, buying a new car has its own set of benefits as you are backed by a warranty for a few years. Additionally, the loan-to-value percentage on used cars may not be absolute as against new cars. Therefore, an auto loan for a newer car can cover your loan completely and in some cases even extend it to an amount more than the cost of the car that you want to purchase.

· Steady Income

The primary criterion for qualifying for an auto loan includes a steady income. For any lender, a steady income stands as proof that you are capable of repaying the loan amount in the given time period. Usually, lenders ask for payment stubs or bank statements to validate your income. With a steady income of the past few years, obtaining a higher loan-to-value percentage is possible.

Taking the above points into consideration, you get a clearer picture on how a loan-to-value percentage on an auto loan works and the factors you should consider so that you can bargain for a higher amount on your auto loan. Always carry out an extensive research and read the loan agreement meticulously before you decide on choosing an auto loan.

Do you remember the pain of abandoning your dream car because you couldn’t get an auto loan approval? It is hard to let go the dream of buying your favorite car. However, times have changed with the easy availability of a pre-approved auto loan.

With a pre-approved auto loan, you can get a clear picture of the approved loan amount. Also, the lender will give you assurance of paying money as and when required. It means that the loan program will make car buying process a piece of cake for you.

Eligibility Criteria for a Pre-Approved Auto Loan

You need to submit your financial documents to the lender. He will examine your credit ratings and banking activities in detail. After inspecting your financial situation, he will provide you with an approved loan amount for buying a car.

Why opt for a Pre-Approved Auto Loan?

The following points justify why one should opt for a pre-approved auto loan rather than applying for a traditional loan:

· Car Buying Process becomes Clear

After the lender assesses your credit ratings and banking details, you will get a clear idea of the maximum loan amount that he is ready to lend you. It makes choosing a car simple and clear. If your credit ratings are good and the lender approves you for a higher loan amount, you can buy your dream car.

On the other hand, if you apply for a traditional loan, you will have to choose the car first and then apply for an auto loan. And, if your credit ratings are not good, the lender may reject your loan application.

· It saves Time

What if the lender approves for a lower loan amount than you expected? Don’t worry! You can spend time in arranging money for the down payment amount. Applying for a pre-approved auto loan gives you adequate time for taking care of issues such as the down payment amount and the co-signer. Thus, it makes buying your dream car easy. The biggest problem with a traditional loan is that it doesn’t provide you with enough time to make arrangements for the down payment amount. Also, you need to make quick decisions in choosing a co-signer. If you are unable to secure the down payment amount and the co-signer, you will have to abandon your dream of buying a car.

· You can enjoy Low-Interest Rates

Lenders offer low-interest rates to car buyers who apply for a pre-approved auto loan. The reason is that they perform strict scrutiny on financial documents and approve loan application of people with low risk. As they are not worried about their investment, they are able to offer affordable interest rates. If you apply for a traditional loan, the interest rates will be high. It is because the loan program is not designed exclusively for you.

· Luxury of Time

Once you get a pre-approved auto loan, you get an assurance of getting money according to your requirements. Therefore, you can wait for festive offers and enjoy additional benefits or discounts.

On the other hand, approval on a traditional loan requires time. There are chances that you may not be able to enjoy the festive offers and discounts because of the long duration of the loan process.

· Negotiations becomes Easy

Getting a pre-approved auto loan is considered as having money in your hand. The dealer understands it and so, tries to sell you a car as quickly as possible. As you have an upper hand in the negotiation process, you can negotiate with the dealer to buy the car at low price. The negotiations in a traditional loan are not effective as the dealer is aware of the fact that you do not have money to finalize the deal.

· Future Benefits

A pre-approved auto loan, if repaid punctually, also provides future benefits. Applying for loans in the future becomes easy if the lender knows you well. He will provide you with special interest rates and reduce the loan approval time as well. It is because he has reviewed your documents in the past and is well-aware of your financial situation.

When you apply for a pre-approved auto loan, the lender conducts intense research on your banking account and financial transactions. But once the scrutiny is over, you will get a picture of your situation and it will make the car buying process crystal clear to you. So, it is better to apply for a pre-approved auto loan than to spend time on a traditional loan.

Before taking the decision to utilise an instant loan, decide what an instant loan actually means to you. Does it mean a loan that gets you money in a single day or is it simply a loan that is approved fast? Though they appear similar, they are not. These are two entirely different cases and depending on the case specifications, are offered to borrowers.

In the first case, the loan is approved quickly because of a special requirement of borrower. Borrowers, in a few cases require loan urgently. They may not have been able to maintain the desired gap between application and approval because of the uncertain nature of the expense for which the loan is needed. In spite of this, the borrower is given an instant loan, while the service charges are upped.

Next are Instant loans where the loan provider accepts that it his responsibility to approve the loan application fast, so that the borrower can instantly utilise the loan amount sanctioned. In the former class of instant loans, the lure of an extra rate of interest works in order to facilitate a fast approval. The desire on the part of the loan provider to be efficient and effective creates the latter class of instant loans.

For the purpose of ease in recognition, we will refer to the first case of instant loans as fast loans and the second class of instant loans as instant loans itself.

In order to make the resources available within a day, the loan provider in case of fast loans skips several steps that are involved in the normal loan processing. It must be acknowledged that there are a number of sub-processes that need to be carried out before processing the loan. Some of these like the credit check are necessary for determining the reliability of the borrower. The other set of processes, which includes property valuation (in case of secured loans only), is necessary for deciding the amount that a borrower will qualify for. Though these processes are time consuming, they are not superfluous. This explains the reason why fast loans carry a higher rate of interest. By diverting from the normal loan processes, the loan providers are creating a degree of risk involved.

For an acceleration of the process of approval of instant loans, the borrower need not spend any extra penny. It is purely out of the efficacy of the loan providers that the instant loan is made possible. This was the need of the time and a measure to reduce customer dissatisfaction, which led loan providers to redesign their working procedure to increase the pace of loans approval. Instant loans do not advocate an omission of important sub-processes. It requires the use of methods that increase the speed of approval while not putting the lent funds to danger by skipping important processes and sub-processes.

Online processing of loans is of special help in making instant loans possible. Online processing of loans does not simply mean using a computer for sorting and arranging data. It means accepting application through net at any time of the day and night. This also includes a response on the loan query that is easily forwarded to borrowers. Since work at some loan providers goes 24×7, borrowers are assured of help at times when they can least expect it. Multi-tasking or the ability to perform various sub-processes more than one at a time will also be helpful.

A special type of instant loan is payday loan, which are characteristically fast in approval. Borrowers who have emptied their monthly paycheque and need money to disburse an occasional or regular expense will use a payday loan. The amount involved in a payday loan is relatively less. The amount ranges from £80 to £500. A payday loan is so fast in approval that a borrower gets the amount immediately on the day following the application. The payday loan is credited directly into the bank account of the borrower. Cash advance loan and no fax payday loans are some of the classes of instant loans that are prevalent nowadays. A payday loan is lent out till the borrower receives his next paycheque. The paycheque serves as the collateral for the purpose. Borrowers may get an extension in the term of repayment of payday loans.

Given the highly unexpected nature of the expenses, borrowers will find instant loans really useful.